Infant Nutrition Policies

Parents with children in the Infant Program will need to supply formula until the child is one year of age and able to consume whole milk. Parents who breast feed can bring breast milk in pouches for their child. (Please label the pouches.) 

When children are beginning to progress to baby foods, please inform your child’s teacher so that we can work collaboratively together. When introducing new foods, only introduce one food at a time for one week to insure there are no allergies. The recommended food progression is as follows:

1. Introduce rice cereal by mixing it with a small amount of formula and give it to them using a spoon. (Rice cereal first, then oatmeal, then wheat.)

(Initially people think that children don’t like it because they spit it out, but that is not the case. When children suck from a bottle, they push their tongue to the front of their mouth. They have to learn how to maneuver their tongue to push to the back of their mouth.)

2. Vegetables: Introduce vegetables one at a time for one week each. 

3. Meats: Introduce meats one at a time for one week each. 

4. Fruits: These are introduced last because sweet in an innate taste (we are born liking it). If sweets are given first, they will not like vegetables or meat. 

5. Combination Dinners: These should be introduced last because they have a variety of foods in them and if there was an allergy, it would be difficult to tell what it is from.

At one year of age children transition from formula to whole milk. They stay on whole milk until age 2.  

Tender Loving Care provides milk and milk substitutes (Lactose Free, Soy, Almond).

T.L.C. also provides baby food and whole foods. Please notify your child’s teacher when you are starting them on whole foods. 

Infant Feeding Chart

Infant Age

Breast Milk/Formula

Solid Food

4-6 months

24-36   oz. daily

(5-8 nursing sessions)

1-4   Tbsp cereal

(1-2   times a day)

1-4   Tbsp veggies or fruit

(1-2 times a day)

6-8 months

24-36   oz. daily

(4-6 nursing sessions)

4-9   Tbsp cereal,

Veggies   and fruit daily

(in 2-3 meals)

9-12 months

16-30   oz daily

(3-5 nursing sessions)

1/4   - ½ cup each

grains,   veggies, fruit

(2   times per day)

1/4   - ½ cup milk daily

1/4 - ½ cup protein daily